Lula proposes South America act as a bloc

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (Aug. 14) advocated for greater integration among South American countries to advance regional development and seek robust trading partners beyond the continent, including China. Lula emphasized that while Brazil is positioned to lead this initiative, it does not intend to pursue an imperialist agenda.

“In the same spirit of reducing inequalities within countries, we are going to take very, very strong care of integration. I'm convinced that we have to persuade the neighboring countries that alone, we remain small, but together, we can achieve great things,” said the president on Wednesday (14), during his participation in the forum Um Projeto de Brasil (A Brazil Project), promoted by Carta Capital magazine, in celebration of the publication's 30th anniversary.

“We don’t want to be imperialists [...]. Building a relationship based on trust and mutual interest is what drives us to promote South America as a bloc,” the president added, recalling his long-standing support for strengthening relations within regional blocs such as the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

At the end of the year, President Lula and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting in Brazil to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. According to Lula, discussions are ongoing about establishing a long-term strategic partnership with China. Additionally, Lula announced that he will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru, where China aims to discuss trade routes with Latin America.

“We aim to become a stronger economy than ever before and need to seek out partners. When I mention China, it’s not to compete with the United States; rather, I want both the U.S. and China as allies. [...] Brazil can only command respect if we have a clear project,” he said, noting that China has been Brazil’s largest trading partner for 15 years.

The forum brought together leaders from the public and private sectors in Brasília to discuss national and South American integration and the paths to a fair and inclusive energy transition.

“We need deep regional integration, based on skilled work and the production of science, technology, and innovation to generate jobs and income. Anyone who knows the history of the region values the state's role as a planner and inducer of development,” said Lula, arguing that the state should have the right capacity to reduce asymmetries within and between countries.

He also mentioned the projects of the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC)—the guiding policy of the current government—built with the suggestions of states and municipalities.

Regarding the foreign market, Lula highlighted Brazil's efforts to strengthen its connections with Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. He also mentioned a project involving five key physical routes designed to enhance Brazil's integration with its neighboring countries. The first of these routes is expected to begin operations in 2025 and will link the entire North Region and part of the Northeast to the tri-border area of Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.